Buying a mattress is a big decision. Given that we spend around one-third of our lives sleeping, it’s necessary to establish the level of comfort that will last for many years, ideally over a decade. Mattresses, regardless of what material they are in and what brand they are made at are not cheap. Some mattresses can be quite expensive, which is why making the right decision is mandatory.
If you’re buying your first mattress, then you should read various buying guides about how to shop from the right manufacturers and what features you should look into when shopping for a mattress. Additionally, you need to look into what kind of sleeper you are, whether you prefer firm sleeping surfaces or want to sink into your mattress. Finally, what type of mattress you’re going for tells a lot about your sleeping preferences.
Only after you learn these properties of mattresses, granted you’re shopping for one for the first time, you should be able to choose what mattress brands you should shop from. Not all mattress brands have the same work and manufacturing ethics and policies, and some of them are not even standardized and regulated.
That’s why you should only shop from trusted brands that you can rely on. In this article, we’ll talk about 5 mattress brands to avoid due to bad practices, poor warranty, or customer service. We’ll also take a look at traits that these manufacturers share in common.
Finally, we’ll detail features to look into when choosing a mattress brand that you will shop with. Make sure to read carefully, as buying a mattress dictates the quality of your sleep for the next following years. If you get lucky to afford a really good mattress, you could use it for at least two decades without any problems.
Things That Mattress Brands to Avoid Have in Common
Below we’ll discuss the features that mattress brands to avoid have in common or lack. We’ll also detail what other things you should be attentive to when choosing the right mattress brand.
Low-Quality Materials
This widely depends on what type of mattress this is, whether it’s an innerspring, foam, or latex mattress. However, the poor-quality mattresses are made out of low-quality foam that will sink after only a few months of use, which eliminates the point of comfortable sleeping.
Low-quality foam can be found on mattresses that cost less than $500, especially if they are compatible with Queen and King beds.
Thin And No Thickness
Sleeper, especially those heavier, can’t benefit from mattresses that are not enough thick. The most acceptable thickness level is 6-inches, which may still be too low for those who want a memory foam mattress. If you’re buying a 6-inch mattress with innerspring coils you’re settling for no reinforcement and support.
That being said, thinner sleepers should sleep on at least 8-inch thick mattress while those heavier sleepers should consider at least 10 and ideally start from 12-inch thickness. Such mattresses are not too hard to find and they are also not too crazily expensive.
However, opting for a thin mattress means that it’ll collapse in less than a few months. In the worst-case scenario, you’ll be able to use it only for a few weeks.
Ridiculously Low Price
If you want to buy a mattress that will last for many years, decades so to say, you will want to spend at least $1000 to $1500 as a started point.
Sometimes, sub-$1000 mattresses can get the job done, but it depends on the individual features and what the mattress is made for. It’s worth noting that memory foam mattresses come with the worst quality. They’re made out of synthetic
If you’re really that restricted on budget, some more affordable models may have approachable features if you want a mattress that will last 5 to 10 years, although that’s rare to find. A mattress that is cheaper than $500 is hardly any good if you want quality that will last for decades.
No Return Policy
The most reputable mattress brands are thoughtful of their customers. Oftentimes, they offer a year-long sleep trial, where customers can sleep on their mattress for a year before deciding whether it meets their expectations or not. However, the basic rule of thumb says that customers should have at least a 30-day return policy, or more, depending on the vendor and manufacturer.
If that’s not the case with the mattress brand you want to shop from, you should avoid that mattress maker.
Low or No Warranty
Next to the return policy that mattress brands provide, there are also warranties. Each mattress regardless of the cost should come with at least five years of warranty services. That means that if your mattress sags, a coil breaks free or the fabric rips off the company has to replace the mattress with a new one.
If the mattress is not available on the market, the company should replace it with a similarly priced mattress from the collection that you should choose. For most mattresses, even 5 years of warranty is low, but it’s the bare minimum given that some options have a lifetime warranty.
No Standards and Certifications
Shopping mattresses that were approved by world-leading standards and regulators is of utmost importance, especially if you’re buying a memory foam mattress. That being said, here are the certifications you should consider if you’re shopping for a mattress from a reputable brand.
- CertiPUR US – ensures that the foam used in memory foam mattresses doesn’t use ozone-depleting compounds, doesn’t come with toxic fire retardants, and generally feels good to sleep on.
- GreenGuard – this certificate evaluates mattresses for use of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) the lower VOCs are used the better.
- GOTS – Global Organic Textile Standard means that the textile, cotton to be precisely used in these mattresses is made out of natural and organic compounds.
- GOLS – Global Organic Latex Standard ensures that organically sourced latex was used for manufacturing mattresses.
- Oeko Tex – this standard evaluates components in mattresses for hazardous components, but also checks for other unwanted components.
If the mattress brand you’re trying to shop from doesn’t adhere to any of these standards, we advise you not to shop from that brand.
5 Mattress Brands to Avoid: Detailed Reviews
Now that we highlighted the features you should be attentive to when shopping for the best mattress for your bedroom and choosing the right brand for you, here’s a comprehensive list of mattress brands you should avoid.
Disclaimer: This article doesn’t aim to defame any entity and is entirely informational. Readers are still encouraged to shop from any brand that they want, but they should be attentive to the bad sides of working with certain brands.
Restonic
- Why avoid it: Its cheaper mattresses tend to sag quite easily, while the warranty is extremely difficult to claim.
- Warranty:10-15 years depending on the model you choose
- Customer service: Could be better
Restonic is one of those companies that neither sports ridiculously high prices nor prices that are too low. Its mattresses look luxurious, and most feel luxurious too, at least in the beginning.
One of the key issues that the customers face with all the mattresses that are on offer by this brand are the longevity and durability of the mattress. Although they do come with 10 to 15 years of warranty, and a 120-days trial period (for pricier mattresses) that durability doesn’t live up to the promise.
As soon as the 120 days trial period is over, and sometimes even earlier, the mattress begins to sag. Now, it’s alright that plush mattresses will sag a bit now and then and that feels good mostly for petite and light sleepers.
However, when the mattress sags too much, the body is not in a neutral position and doesn’t feel comfortable sleeping on such a mattress. After a while, users complained about horrible back pain, and lack of edge support. Some users also complained about the customer service and how getting the mattress replaced or claiming a warranty is painful.
BeautyRest
- Why avoid it: It either feels too firm or too soft. Sags within months of use, useless customer service.
- Warranty:10 years warranty
- Customer service: Unresponsive and unhelpful
BeautyRest makes beautiful pillowtop mattresses. They look premium, luxurious and give a feeling that there is no better mattress on the market than this one. Still, you can’t be more wrong, as there are a lot of bad sides to this mattress.
They come in all kinds of firmness and thickness levels, so the users are encouraged to build the mattress on their terms and enjoy a beautiful and restful night’s sleep. They couldn’t be more wrong because the mattress will begin sagging in a matter of months since purchasing.
There are also a lot of problems with the customer service. Some reports said that they counted from 5 to 12 sags on their bad and that the customer service doesn’t find them to be appropriate well until the warranty of 10 years expires.
People that tried to claim a warranty due to sagging were also denied many times because they used custom-made bed frames out of woods and not the metal bed frames that the company recommends.
This mostly refers to the BRS900 Silver mattress that measures 15-inches thick and is supposed to give a deep, plush, hugging sensation. However, it’s sagging too much.
For the time being, while they are still functional, many people reported that the mattresses are comfortable, but once they start sagging due to poor quality memory foam, sleeping on them becomes unbearable.
IKEA Morgedal
- Why avoid it: Most IKEA mattresses don’t offer a money-back guarantee. For some people, this mattress can cause excruciating back pain.
- Warranty: 25 years
- Customer service: Decent but could be better
IKEA built an incredible reputation with various products inspired by the Scandinavian style. Still, its mattresses stand out as one of the kind, which is exactly why so many people go to Ikea to get their mattresses for beds and oftentimes, the bed frame too.
It’s no secret that the mattresses are of amazing quality and there is a large selection of both those mattresses that are plush and create a cradling sensation when laying, and those firmer mattresses that are ideal for those who want to sleep above the mattress and heavier sleepers too.
IKEA’s Morgedal mattress is an exception because while it was advertised to be the best mattress for sleepers wanting an extra-firm mattress, it was quick to sag and offer zero-edge support so those who slept on it could sleep only in the middle of the mattress. Additionally, it’s only available in one size.
IKEA has great customer service but it doesn’t feel so helpful when you’re trying to claim a warranty on a product that sagged.
Signature Design By Ashley
- Why avoid it: Some models are not good for those with back pain. Poor return policy
- Warranty: 10 years
- Customer service: Slow and unresponsive to problems
Signature Design By Ashley is a large mattress retail chain that makes beautiful pillow-top mattresses of all designs and types. However, more abundant than others, are the memory foam mattresses with European-style pillow-tops which lured so many people into buying a mattress with luxurious feeling, even though it’s not that way in entirety.
While the mattresses have great up to 15-inch height and thickness, come in different firmness levels, colors, and sizes, the mattresses are generally considered bad for people who suffer from back pain. As for those who don’t have problems with back pain, they’ll notice that sleeping on the edge is practically impossible.
There are good things about the mattress company too. The products are certified with the purest standards, the materials feel soft and don’t get hot during the night. However, the problem with balance and support excel all the benefits.
Another bad thing is the customer service and catastrophic return policies. A lot of people who suffered the mattress sagging within months of purchase have been unable to claim a warranty or return the product.
While the customer service is surprisingly helpful when it comes to explaining the difference between plush and firm mattresses, they’re not so helpful once the extra-firm mattress sags. One such example is the Mt Dana mattress.
Nutan Mattress
- Why avoid it: Confusing labeling, packaging problems, poor materials
- Warranty: NA
- Customer service: Could be better
Nutan mattresses may not be a too popular name, but those who see them easily get tricked into buying them based on the luxurious-looking pictures on expensive frames. However, there’s a lot that could be said about this brand because of the lack of warranty, but a lot of people seem to be buying it because of the pillowtop description and the fact it comes with good cooling.
Unfortunately, the mattress is quick to sink, regardless of whether the person that sleeps on it is heavy or not, the mattress is in simple terms bad for people who want to have decent support while still feeling hugged by the mattress.
The customer service seems to be responsive on the product page but not regarding the return policy or warranty.
Things to Consider When Shopping from A Good Mattress Brand
If you’re shopping for a new mattress, these traits that signalize a good mattress brand can be of great help.
- Transparency about the materials used – The company will transparently display all the layers of the mattress, materials used, and benefits for the health and the health of your children.
- 12-15-inches high – This criterion may depend from company to company, but it’s a good thing to know that mattresses that have greater height are also durable and give a better hugging sensation.
- 10+ years warranty – We understand that companies don’t want to be scammed for warranty by consumers, but any level of sagging should be enough to be able to claim the warranty. The 10-year warranty is the absolute minimum.
- Sleep Trial – Sleep trial is extremely important when you’re shopping for a pricier mattress because you’ll be able to evaluate how long it’ll last. Some mattress firms offer up to 1 year of sleep trial.
- The price justifies the quality – We know that not everyone can afford to spend $2,000-$3,000 on a mattress, but if the quality justifies, it’s worth it.
- A good name is well-heard – Positive reviews on rate websites and forums such as Reddit and Quora are the best indicators that people are satisfied with what the mattress brand has to offer.
Frequently Asked Questions About Mattress Brands
Daily, a lot of questions about different mattress brands are asked. We tried to collect those questions and answer them.
Should You Shop A Branded Mattress?
You should always buy from a trusted mattress brand. Mattresses go through strict manufacturing and regulation processes to ensure quality and assurance. If you buy from a random mattress you find you won’t be able to confirm where are the materials sourced from and have to do the research on your own which is pretty hard to conduct.
What Is The Most Reliable Mattress Brand?
When it comes to the best mattress brand, it’s hard to choose one. However, there are multiple trusted brands that you could try giving attention to, such as Saatva, Loom & Leaf, Casper, Nectar, and many others.
Should You Buy Memory Foam Mattress?
Most unreliable mattress brands make memory foam mattresses because they are cheap and allow them to save on material. However, if the mattress uses high VOCs and fire retardants such as fiberglass and other toxic materials, it’s not reliable and poses risk to you, your pets, and children. Still, companies with transparently sourced materials and high-level reliability offer great quality memory foam mattresses.
How Long Should a Good Mattress Last?
A decent mattress will last at least 10 years. However, many mattress brands manufacture mattresses with well over 20 years of warranty, which means that a good mattress will last for a very long time. Should mattress start sinking before, you should be able to get your mattress evaluated and replaced with a new one, or a corresponding sibling mattress in case your model is no longer available.
